“Merkos Shlichus.” Two words that contain a wealth of meaning. Every year, during the summer, talmidim in 770 would go on shlichus for Merkos L’Inyonei Shlichus to towns and countries near and far, to find lost Jews. The goal: to ignite their Jewish spark and draw them close to their Father in heaven.
Beis Moshiach spoke with Rabbi Yaakov Roza, Rabbinical Committee Chairman of ZAKA, and heard about his challenging work and his interactions with the Rebbe’s shluchim around the world, about his encounter with the Rebbe, and a fascinating story of Divine Providence having to do with an old man from Malachovka.
Igor was not interested in undergoing circumcision. He had heard about this mitzva and decided it wasn’t for him. R’ Huss could not bear to let this mitzva slip through his hands, and he explained how important it is for the neshama. But Igor didn’t get it.
If, in Beitar Ilit, you were to ask about the “Chassidishe driver,” everyone would know whom you mean. On his bus, you are greeted with a big smile and are sent off with warm blessings. On the way, you can help yourself to a cold drink, listen to Chabad niggunim, Tefillas HaDerech, and a reminder to count the omer, and even sell your chametz! And of course, you would hear his usual prayer, “May we merit to change our route since Moshiach will come and we will drive directly to the Beis HaMikdash.”
Lighting a fire on a plane is a serious offense in the laws of air travel. The fact that a Chassid received permission to light a menorah, and to watch the lights for at least half an hour, is no less than a miracle. Here is how it happened:
R’ Moshe Simon was born in Petach Tikva. He went to the vocational school in Kfar Chabad. He married in 5746 and moved to Nachalat Har Chabad in Kiryat Malachi where he works as a teacher.
Csanad Szegedi was a leader of a right wing pro-Nazi Hungarian political group in Budapest called Jobbik, which formed the Hungarian Guard, a paramilitary organization. Since its establishment in 2003, he was a member of this extreme party and part of the hardcore that started it, devoted to an ideology of anti-Semitism and holocaust denial.
Thousands of Chassidim packed into the Rebbe’s beis midrash and listened closely to what the Rebbe had to say. It was seemingly a routine farbrengen on Shabbos Mevarchim. The Rebbe began with timely remarks about the special quality of Shabbos Mevarchim Nissan which is the “head” of the months. Between sichos, the Chassidim lifted their cups and the Rebbe responded to the l’chaims of each of them.
The tremendous hustle and bustle of Manhattan did not faze the two bachurim who stood that day, in the summer of 1979, on Seventh Avenue near a Mitzva Tank. They invited Jewish passersby to enter the tank and put on t’fillin.
The third night of Chanuka. Plans to go on mivtzaim to the Sh’chem area. After the incident the night before in which we were stoned, I decided I had had enough of adventures. But I changed my mind on a dime and decided to join them. A decision I would have occasion to regret. * Four young bachurim and a shliach, surrounded by dozens of inflamed Arabs with no natural way to get out.
If you go to the Chabad yeshiva in Tzfas, you can find Roni Arad bent over a Shulchan Aruch and other s’farim as he prepares for smicha. He looks like a typical Chassid and it is hard to imagine his tumultuous past
Erev Shabbos Chanuka in Eilat. As the number of people putting on t’fillin at the seashore shopping center exceeded one hundred and fifty(!), the T’mimim at the mivtzaim stand never imagined that there would be more and bigger surprises in store for them. A man with hair down to his shoulders and a cross around his neck took the stand. The questions he started asking came as an even greater surprise. How would the story end?
“The kibbutznikim told us: ‘It’s simply amazing. The holiness came to the kibbutz and drove out the impurity…’ They understood that G-d had arranged this shlichus for us.” A person thinks that he runs his own affairs, signs contracts, or sets out in search of a certain goal. Suddenly, he realizes that the Hand of Alm-ghty G-d directs everything …
September 19, 2019